Prevalence of Self-medication of Antibiotics in Children and Parental Perception and Knowledge Regarding Antibiotic use and Resistance

Abstract

A survey was conducted in Faridpur, Madaripur and Shariatpur district of Bangladesh which is entitled by “prevalence of self-medication of antibiotics in children and parental perception and knowledge regarding antibiotic use and resistance”. The aims and objectives of this research were to identify the prevalence of self-medication with antibiotic to children, to determine parents’ knowledge, attitude and practice of self-medication by exploring the knowledge and attitude about self-medication of antibiotics. This survey was based on questionnaire and had a sample size of 276 participants whose children’s were suffered from any disease during last six month and had experience in using antibiotics. After this study it is seen that self-medication tendency of parents to their children varies on age, previous experience, sort of disease and monthly net house hold income. Most of the children were suffered from cough and cold. And a number of parents thought their child’s health status is fairly poor enough to medicate antibiotic and what’s why they self-medicated (39.13%) their children but most of them (59.70%) consulted a physician for appropriate treatment. Majority (64.10%) of the respondents have education level between primary school to school certificates. For the reason of education they haven’t current knowledge about how to administered antibiotics and its side-effect. Widely used antibiotics for the self-medicated are amoxicillin (21%), ampicillin (12%) & cefixime (15%), ciprofloxacin (14%) are the most common prescribed antibiotics. When the parents were asked about antibiotic resistance then most of the respondents said that they do not have any idea about antibiotic resistance. But large percentage of them thinks that antibiotics are effective as well as in viral fever and the same antibiotics will be effective in the treatment of same infection in future. Because many of them don’t know what is the difference between antibiotic drug and general drug. So, parents should be aware of the resistance of the antibiotic and stopped practicing selfmedication of antibiotic in children. And health ministry of government should take proper initiative and ensure the rules and regulation for purchasing and dispensing the antibiotic to prevent the misuse of antibiotic.